Royally Flushed
by ZaraLavine
Summary: Marry the prince, and live happily ever after. - Every girl's dream. Everyone except Amu, that is. But, she has no choice. Or at least, she didn't have a choice until a mysterious stranger appeared and sent her world spiralling out of control. Amuto.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE:

AMU POV

I am tired of idiots. Really. It's enough to deal with the idiots at school, on the road, and pretty much everywhere else in life. But family too?

"Amu, please, don't be like this. It's all in your best interests. If you do this, you won't be enslaved by your father and I's debt." My mom's rapidly-aging face was lined with wrinkles, a visual sign of all the stress she was dealing with.

Our family had recently fallen on hard times, and my parents were forced to take loans from some shady people. Debt collection was coming soon, and both my parents and I know that we are still not in the condition to pay them back.

The only other option left is me.

I am eighteen years old, and thus officially eligible to become the prince's, or Tadase Hoshina's, fiance'.

It is a tradition in the royal family that when an heir seeking the throne is old enough, he is to marry a commoner before assuming their role in power. I'm not sure why they do that, probably to make the people feel good that a common person was in power, and thus had their needs in mind. Or maybe it was just to feed the fantasies of all the young girls in this country. Who knew.

But as far as my family was concerned, this was where I came in.

"I don't want to marry a man I don't love!" I shouted at my mother, my anger breaking through my usually 'cool & spicy' facade.

My mom winced, and my dad stepped in between us. "Amu, calm down." He said, putting his hand on one of my shoulders. His eyes were red-rimmed; it looked like he had been crying. I felt a pull in my heart at that thought, but I quickly pushed it away. If he was upset about selling me off as a slave to the royal family, than he shouldn't do it in the first place. "We only want what's best for you."

Before I could retort that ridiculous statement, Ami, my little sister, piped up. "Onee-chan gets to marry a prince!" Ami was ten years old, and was completely oblivious to everything all the time. Her eyes were sparkling as she no doubt drifted off into her dreamworld where princes marry princesses and live happily ever after.

But this is reality, not Ami's dreamworld. And I'm no princess, and I know there will be no happily ever after in my book, chosen as Tadase's bride or not.

After arguing with my parents, I went up to my small room and thought about it. I realized there were only two ways for this to work out. The first being that if I get picked as the future queen, I can pay off my family's debts and help ease their situation, while I no doubt live miserably in a stiff-necked, restrictive royal household, married to a man I don't love. The second was that if I don't get picked, my family and I lose everything we own to try and pay off our debts, and we end up homeless. Ami gets taken away from us, and I'm forced to work what would probably feel like a million jobs, trying to get back on our feet.

So really, it's a lose-lose situation, as far as my happiness was concerned.

But I knew that I just had to suck it up and put my family's best interests first.

So I went to that stupid party.

The party was a few weeks later after our discussion, and in the meantime, there was obvious tension and discomfort in the family. Besides Ami's naivete, we all knew just how serious this party was to all of us. Our future was at stake.

The night of the party, my mom gave me one of her old ballgown dresses to wear, which was completely not my style. It was pink, lacy, and I didn't like the underwire thing you had to wear with it to make your dress poof out. It made me itch. It strangely matched my pink hair, however. And I knew it would go perfectly with the theme, 'Masquerade Ball'. It even came with it's own mask, which was pink and lacy like the dress.

All in all, it was completely un-Amu, but it wasn't like I could afford anything else.

"You look beautiful honey." My mother assured me as we stood in front of the full-length mirror in my tiny room. I stared at the pink, lacy beast that was staring back at me with obvious disgust on my face. It just wasn't _me_. I didn't know who it was.

"Remember," My mother said. "Act like a lady. Don't eat a lot, and for heaven's sake, _don't_ chew your fingernails. Keep your hands down when you're eating, and keep your posture straight." My mom ranted on, but I tuned her out. I knew I had to make a good impression, but at this point in time, I just wanted to get the night over with.

"You'll knock him off his feet, I'm sure of it." My mom said, turning me around and hugging me suddenly after I had gotten completely ready and was now just waiting for dad to pull up in his car.

"Are you okay, mom?" I asked, noticing how suddenly emotional she was becoming. Why did this feel like a goodbye? My heart wrenched in my chest, and I forced myself not to cry.

"I'm fine, honey. Go knock him dead." She laughed, tickling my ears with the sound. "Of course, not literally though."

I smiled, giving her one last hug as dad pulled up. "I love you, mom." She hugged me back. "I love you too, sweetie."

I knew why she was getting emotional, after I thought about it for a moment. It was another stupid royal tradition: Once the bride was selected for the king-to-be, she didn't have any contact with her family til the day of the wedding. And who knew how long that would end up being? Even with modern technology, like e-mails and cell-phones, it was strictly prohibited to contact them. I think it had something to do with the fact that you were being integrated into the royal family, and you had to take a _lot_ of lessons to be ready to rule as queen.

I don't know if I'd ever be ready for that.

* * *

><p>When my dad dropped me off at the party, which was taking place inside the castle walls, I felt overwhelmed by the sheer size of it. It looked like it was touching the clouds in the sky with it's pointed towers. There was a certain ominous feeling that shot through me as I stared at the castle, not making a move to go into the party yet. It was like I really realized what was happening. If I was chosen, than I'd live here. If I was chosen, I wouldn't see my family for a <em>long <em>time. If I was chosen, I would be queen of this country. I couldn't breathe.

"Amu-chan?" I snapped out of my tiny panic-attack when I spotted my friend coming towards me from the party. "Is that you?"

I had forgotten to put the mask on, so I quickly put it on as I walked up to her. "Hai. How are you, Yaya-chan?" I smiled, happy to see at least someone familiar here. I had forgotten that most of the females of the country attended this event, who were old enough to at least. Remebering that left me with mixed emotions. There were so _many_ people to choose from, what were the chances he would choose _me_? And if he didn't choose me, than I would be able to stay with my family. But if he didn't choose me, my family would suffer.

"Are you okay, Amu-chii?" Yaya-chan asked, her light brown eyes full of concern behind her yellow mask. Her ballgown was yellow as well, full of bows and sashes, suiting her vibrant personality well.

"Hai, I'm okay. Come on, let's go in." I hooked arms with her and we walked in together. The guards waved us off as we ascended the stone steps. Two massive wooden doors opened in front of us, revealing a ball-room right in front of us. The sounds of violins and various instruments hit my ears as we stepped inside, along with the various chatter going on among the women inside. Men were there, too. But most of them were related to the royal family or friends of them. Otherwise, it was like an estrogen hotspot.

My heels clicked noisily as we stepped onto the marble floors, passing white pillars as we moved past crowds of people into the center of the room, near the dancefloor. We stood on the outskirts as we watched people waltz.

There's another thing, I can't waltz for the life of me. And the one chosen has to waltz with the prince.

"Aww, Yaya wants to dance!" My friend whined, making a jealous face at all the people dancing already. "Do you see any free guys?" She asked, and I scanned the crowds. There were mostly women, and I couldn't even see the prince on the dancefloor. Had he not arrived yet? I wondered. "Sorry, I don't." I apologized, trying and failing to spot a male face in the crowd.

"Oh, Yaya thinks she sees one! Bye bye Amu-chii!" She waved, running off and disappearing into the crowd.

I stood on the outskirts of the crowd uncomfortably. I folded my arms together as I watched people. Everyone was wearing masks, some were typical, others were very unusual and vibrantly colored, or dressed with things such as peacock feathers. I couldn't recognize anyone's face, and I wondered if anyone would be able to recognize me behind my mask.

I sighed; this didn't seem to be playing out like I had expected. But what _had_ I expected? Getting swept off my feet by the prince himself? With so many women to entertain, that thought was far from plausible.

"Excuse me," A deep voice interuppted me out of my thoughts, and I looked up in surprise. "But would you like to dance?" A tall man with dark blue hair had his hand extended towards me, a small smirk on his face. His mask was simply black, no other fancy things done to it. But he didn't need to; his dark blue eyes stood out like gems against the black. His suit was black with a white undershirt, and it looked good on him.

I blushed at this handsome man's offer. "S-sure." I took his hand and he led me out onto the dancefloor. For a moment, I'd forgotten the fact that I can't waltz.

"Uh," I stammered as he pulled me close to him in the waltz position. "I-I can't dance." I said in a low voice, looking away out of embarassment. What a horrible thing to have to admit.

"That's okay, just follow my lead." He said, his voice surprisingly close as he started to lead me forward.

I did as instructed, and followed his lead on the dancefloor. His manner was aloof, but strangely attentive. He was watching everyone and everything, while still being able to dance with skill and grace.

He noticed me staring, and smirked down at me. "Find something that's caught your eye?"

My face turned a dark red, and I instantly looked away, stumbling over my words to try and give an answer. "No, I, uh, well," I was fumbling with my words so much that I'd forgotten to concentrate on my dancing and stepped on his foot with my heel.

"Ow," He winced in pain, and I instantly started to apologize. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hit you, I'm sorry. Is your foot okay? I'm so sorry." I ranted on, automatically moving to bow my head repeatedly, which was hard to do, considering we were still dancing.

He chuckled, sending my ramblings to a dead stop. I looked up at him to see him smiling down at me. "You're very interesting." He said, twirling me out on the dance floor. It was then I noticed that practically everyone was staring at us. A large crowd had gathered around the dancefloor, more than I'd ever seen before. "I guess they think so too." He remarked, a smirk back on his face as he pulled me close again.

We continued dancing for a few moments more, and I found myself enjoying it. My parents had tried multiple times to teach me how to dance, and to waltz specifically, because of this very night. I was never able to do it, I was always tripping over somebody's feet, or my own. Yet here I was, waltzing with a complete stranger. It was strange how well our bodies naturally synced together in time with the music, but I knew any supposed grace that I had was only because of his skill. But it still felt like it was only us, only the two of us on the dancefloor. The eyes that were staring at us were no longer important, or even there in my mind.

Than the song ended. As everyone burst into clapping, he still held me close to him. "W-what are you-" Before I had a chance to ask, he shushed me. His dark blue eyes were looking out into the distance above my head, and a smirk effortlessly graced his features.

"Looks like time's up." He said mysteriously, sending my mind into confusion. Time's up for what? The ball only just started, there was still a lot of time left. Unless the prince had already made his decision. My stomach twisted at the thought; here I was, completely distracted by a handsome stranger, so much so that I had forgotten that my mission here was, in fact, to be picked by the prince! Was it too late? Did he already choose?

The handsome stranger interuppted my thoughts abruptly with a soft, tender kiss on my hand. "Thank you, miss." His dark blue eyes stared up at me with a heart-pounding intensity, and I reminded myself to breathe. "And I'm sorry." I just barely heard him whisper under his breath, before he let me go and walked to the center of the dance floor.

Suddenly, guards flew past me as they ran towards him, their arms outstretched as he remained still, smirking wickedly at them, as if he knew they were coming.

"Party's over." He announced, loud for everyone to hear, as he chucked something in his hand to the ground.

A loud boom and a bright light filled the room, leaving me blinded for a long horrifying moment. My ears were ringing loudly, and I couldn't hear anything else beside it.

I stumbled backwards, hitting something soft and toppling onto the floor with it.

* * *

><p>AN - Hello peoples. :) I wrote this fanfic awhiiilee ago, but I figured I'd upload it here... :) I posted it on deviantart first, but then I took it off. And now it's here! I hope you enjoy it, and reviews are very welcome. They help motivate me~

Sneaky kitty.

-StormySea


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO:

I don't know how long I couldn't see, what may have been seconds or minutes felt like hours.

But finally, as my vision returned, it was filled with spots, but I was able to see what was happening. Everyone else was running around like wild animals, trying to figure out what they should do. The man who had done this was gone, no longer in the center of the floor. My mind was whirling as I tried to understand what had happened. He did this, but _why_?

The ringing in my ears dulled to the point where I could hear a low roar of the crowds, scrambling to leave the building. I also heard a low groan beneath me. I looked down, and realized that the 'something soft' that I had fallen on was actually a person.

In fact, that person was actually the prince.

He was handsome, not in a dark, mysterious way, like that stranger, but in a princely way. His hair was blonde and some of it fell into his face, framing it well. His skin was perfectly clear, and as he blinked his eyes open, ruby red orbs stared up at me.

"Um," His voice was strained, "Would you please move?"

I gasped, remembering that I was still sitting on him, and instantly moved off of him. "I'm so sorry, are you okay?" I asked, offering him a hand up, which he gratefully took.

"Yes, just a little dizzy." Didn't blame him there; I was still dizzy myself.

"Are you alright, miss?" He moved his ruby red eyes on me, and I nodded. "I'm fine. But what happened here?" I asked, scanning the crowds for the dark-haired man. How did he get out of here so fast? And why did he want to stop the party?

Before the prince could respond, a couple of guards came up to take him away. "I'm sorry sir, but it's no longer safe here for you."

"I understand." He moved to walk away with them, but stopped half-way and looked back at me. "Excuse me, miss, but I saw you dancing with that man before the incident. Would you mind coming with us so we can ask you some questions?" He asked, a perfectly princely smile on his face. I found myself wooed by his charm, if even for a moment. "Yes, of course." I agreed, walking with him as the guards led us out of the ballroom, away from the panicking civilians.

But why did I feel like I was betraying that stranger? And why did that bother me?

"Alright." An officer took notes as I told him all that the stranger said and did. "Thank you very much for your cooperation. Your help is very important to us finding and capturing this man." The policeman assured, before another one came over and led me back to the main room. Well, what do I do now? Call my dad and have him pick me up? I felt a sinking feeling in my heart; I had failed. The party was dispersed, and no one was chosen as the prince's fiance'. And who knew how long it would be before the next one? Our debt collectors might very well have taken all we own at that point. Tears were threatening to spill, but I forced them down.

When I came to the main room, the prince was waiting for me with one of the guards.

Shocked, I started to sputter in a very unlady-like manner. My mother would have been mortified. "Wh-what a-are you do-doing here?" I checked myself. "I mean, to what do I owe this honor?" I bowed formally, my face tinged pink at my own lack of manners. I mean, come on, I'm talking to a _prince_ here; you think I'd be a bit more lady-like.

The sound of laughter suddenly rang through my ears, making me look up in surprise. Tadase Hoshina, the prince, was laughing. I felt my cheeks burn in embarassment. Way to go Amu, first fall on top of him, and then make a fool of yourself. This day really was the worst day ever.

After a few more chuckles, his face settled into a warm smile. "I'm sorry, I haven't laughed like that in a long time." I stared blankly at him, still a little surprised to see that he was _here_. "If you'd excuse my rudeness, I'd like to ask your name."

One. Two. "O-oh! H-hinamori Amu." I curtsied, just like my mom had shown me.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Hoshina Tadase." He bowed.

"I know." I blurted out, slapping myself mentally again before he let out another chuckle. "So you do." He said, his red eyes warm, reminding me of a campfire. "I just wanted to thank you again for your assistance regarding this matter. It's a shame what happened." He said remorsefully, shaking his head with a sigh. "I feel bad about it, especially since there were people there who had come from such a long way."

"N-no, don't blame yourself! It wasn't your fault," I found myself saying eagerly before I could stop myself. "It was that weird guy who did it, not you. I don't blame you for it, and I'm sure no else does either." I insisted, before my natural shyness kicked in and I blushed and looked away.

He smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Hinamori-san. I really appreciate your kindness. Perhaps..." He trailed off, looking away with a small blush on his face "Perhaps, we could talk again."

I smiled. "Sure, I'd like that."

I wasn't in love with him. I didn't want to marry him. But he was nice, and of the two alternatives that my future had in store for me, I think I would rather be with him than let my family suffer because of my selfishness. And besides, who knew, maybe I'd fall in love with him...

My parents were very disappointed to hear that the party had abruptly ended, but were immediately overjoyed to hear of what had happened with the prince at the police station.

"Oh Amu-chan, you did it! I'm sure he'll propose to you next time you see him. I'm sure of it!" My mom encouraged, while my dad started sobbing. "My little sparrow is flying away from the nest!" He kept repeating, any efforts to 'be strong' obviously failing as he locked himself in the bathroom.

And sure enough, true to my mom's words, he proposed the next time we were together. He had invited me over to the castle and took me for a walk through the gardens, which were amazing, and then proposed there. I still felt a pull at my heart, telling me to reject it, but then I remembered what would happen to my family, to Ami, to me, if I didn't accept.

So I accepted his hand.

I was immediately moved to the castle, not to see my family again until the wedding day, which is in a month. In the meantime, the ladies of the court are making sure I am prepared to take on my queenly duties, along with being a 'proper lady' by the wedding day.

Shoot me now.

* * *

><p>AN - Okay. So you may be thinking, "I thought she said this was Amuto!11!1!1!" But I will let you know that this is necessary. :) And don't worry, Ikuto'll be back soon~

Btw, if you didn't get it, he threw a flash bomb. Sneaky kitty.

Thanks for the reviews guys~ They really help motivate me. :)

-StormySea


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

I think they expect all royals to be at least twenty feet tall. Why else would they make such high ceilings? And furthermore, how did the maids dust and clean it? A pang of sympathy went out to them at the thought of one of the maids standing on a twenty-foot tall ladder, trying to clean the ceiling just so I could stare it.

Which is what I was doing right now. For the past week, I have done nothing but memorize rules, laws, family history, seating positions, and the proper way to wave. My eye twitched at the thought of where I should be right now- Learning how to eat properly.

I closed my eyes, wishing with all my heart that when I opened them again, I would be staring at my own normal-sized walls back at home. But when I did blink them open, I came face-to-face with purple eyes.

I was so surprised I fell off the bed. "Wahh!" I yelped, hitting the floor with a thud. "Ow.." I mumbled, looking up to see Utau-hime standing above me, an obvious sneer on her face.

She was the only one who didn't bother to hide the contempt I knew everyone was feeling for me. "I'm here to escort you to your lessons, since it seems you can't find your way on your own." She glared at me as I stood up off of the floor.

Another thing, this castle is HUGE. How can they expect someone to find their way when all you say is 'go to the ladies' court' and then give no directions?

I sweatdropped inwardly, not failing to notice the obviously taxed expression she wore, as if I was asking so much of her. "Thanks..." I muttered, while she simply snubbed her nose in the air and walked out into the hallway, me following after her.

"Utau-hime," I stopped, still not used to the echoes that resignated back at me because of the sheer vastness of every single room in the castle.

"What?" She snapped, her blonde pigtails bouncing slightly as she moved with grace. Sometimes, it was hard not to get jealous of her. And even though she was always mean to me, I knew she had a good heart. I knew because of the way she treated everyone else, with such poise and sincere interest, it seemed that I was the only one that was the exception to her kindness.

"Why are you always snapping at me?" I decided to ask directly, my shy self screaming at me inwardly, which I tried my best to ignore. I really wanted to know why.

She didn't answer, so I thought for a moment that maybe she didn't hear me. But after a long pause, she finally answered. "You are to be the future Queen of this country. I will not spare you from correction, for your sake and for the people's sake." She stopped and turned around, her purple eyes glowering at me intensely. The static in the air ran through me, and I shuddered. "Besides," She spoke in a lower tone, "If you cannot handle direct confrontation, how will you be able to handle the indirect attacks you will receive? If you cannot handle it," She turned her back to me, her voice colder than usual, "Than I suggest you leave. Do not waste my time."

I stood there, shocked at her words for a moment before I found my voice. "I will not leave! My family is depending upon me. I know I'll live up to your standards, so don't doubt me." My personality switched into the Cool & Spicy character I had developed when I was in school. "And please, in the future, treat your future Queen with more respect."

She narrowed her eyes, a small smirk coming onto her face that I barely had the chance to see before she turned once more, leading me through the halls. "Of course, Amu-hime."

* * *

><p>Later, after my princess lessons were over, I met Tadase in the hallways as I was on my way to my room.<p>

"Oh, Hinamori-san." Tadase greeted me, smiling beautifully as usual. He was wearing a white vest over a long-sleeve tan shirt, his pants matching his vest. He looked utterly princely, the perfect personification of Cinderella's dream-boy. Part of me reprimanded myself, telling me I should be happier since I get to marry a guy who looks like a prince, i and /i acts like a prince too.

I blushed slightly, "H-hi, Tadase-kun."

"Where you are you going?" He asked curiously, tilting his head slightly to the right like a curious puppy.

"Just back to my room." I responded, smiling at the mental image of a puppy with Tadase's eyes and expression on it.

"Oh. Um, you know it's in the opposite direction, right?" He smiled sympathetically as I blushed out of embarassment. Before I could give any kind of excuse, he started walking ahead of me. "Why don't I lead you there?" He offered, seeming to sparkle as I stared at him.

"O-oh, y-yes, t-thank you." I blushed badly, staring at the ground as we walked. This was the man I was going to marry, I thought; I felt my heart throb with a not-so-unusual pain. It wasn't any fault of Tadase's that I felt this way, it was my own issue. It was because I didn't love him. I knew I should stop thinking about it; I knew I should just let that dream of marrying for love die.

Before I could catch myself, I sighed audibly.

"Are you okay, Hinamori-san?" Tadase questioned instantly, surprising me. I hadn't even realized I had sighed.

"O-oh, yes." I said, fidgeting with the side of my shirt nervously as he led me down the hallway.

Finally, we reached my room. "Thank you, Tadase-kun." I said, curtsying slightly as he bowed in response.

He smiled, "My pleasure. I know it's easy to get turned around in here. Would you like me to assign a lady in waiting for you, to help escort you around the castle grounds and attend to your needs?"

He was very kind, but I didn't like the idea of anybody attending to my needs. I waved him off, shaking my head. "Oh no no, that's okay. Thank you for the offer, but I don't want to inconvenience anyone."

"It wouldn't be a bother at all." He insisted, "But I'll arrange it only if you want one."

I smiled, more genuinely this time. "No, no, it's okay. Thank you, Tadase-kun."

"You're welcome, Hinamori-san."

We stood there, staring at eachother for a moment before one of the maids who was strolling by coughed very obviously. We both turned red and looked down at the ground, both of us very embarassed. "I-I'll see you later T-Tadase-kun." I said.

"Y-yeah, s-sounds good." He rubbed the back of his head nervously, "I'll see you later. "He bowed, before taking his leave.

I shut the door to my room, and turned to lean against it. I breathed out slowly, taking in all of what just happened. Tadase was a very nice person, and he was very cute. His princely character appealed to me.

But, I didn't love him.

Can I live with that?

* * *

><p>I went through all of the gruesome training that was necessary to be Queen, and even after marriage I would still be learning, the court had decided. The responsibilities of Queen would be something gradually given to me, so that I wouldn't be overwhelmed. I was kind of grateful for the arrangement; I still didn't feel like I was cut out to be Queen-material.<p>

But here we are, the night before the wedding. Tomorrow, I would be Mss. Hoshina. Mss. Amu Hoshina.

That didn't fit together very well in my mind. I sighed, like I had been doing for the past month since I had arrived here at the castle, and buried my face into my pillow. I couldn't sleep; in fact, I hadn't been able to sleep very well for the past week. And when I did, I'd dream of my family being oppressed, of Ami being forced to eat out of garbage cans; or I'd dream about being Queen, about screwing up big time and not being able to do anything about it. I still shuddered at the mental images.

I let out a frustrated sigh after another fifteen minutes of no success in trying to sleep. I threw on my pink fuzzy robe over the tank top and shorts that I wore to bed. I walked out onto my balcony, staring at the night sky as my breath came out in even puffs of smoke. It was getting cold already, and it was still only the end of August. The night air was brisk, but refreshing. I folded my arms against my chest to try and retain my warmth as I stared at the stars, trying to remember where the constellations were.

"Having second thoughts?"

* * *

><p>AN - HMM. Wonder who that is.

Thanks for the support you guys have given me; I really appreciate it. :3 Again, reviews are helpful, good motivaters. :D

-StormySea


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